Shoe-polishing machine



V. RASCHELLA.

SHOE POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, I918.

Patented Feb. 3,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI v. RASCHELLA. suoa POLISHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I. HHB.

1,329,677. Patented Feb. 3,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VINCENT RASCHELLA, .OF WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY.

SHOE-POLISHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920..

Application filed March 7 1918. Serial No. 221,044.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VINCENT RASCHELLA, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at No. 12 Pleasant avenue, \Veehawken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Shoe-Polishin Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a shoe-polishing machine in which two sets of revolving brushes operate in conjunction with a moving platform, and the object of my invention is: first, to afiord facilities for a quick shoe shine: second, to give to the shoe a perfect even gloss: and third, to enable anybody to get a good shine, without any use of hand work.

To attain the desired end, my invention consists in a certain novel, useful combination or arrangement of parts and peculiarities of construction, all of which will be fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a shoe polishing machine, embodying my in-- vention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine as seen from the top, the brush covers being broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in section of the machine. Fig.

4: is a to plan view of the outer cup con taining t e polish. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of another cup which will fit into the previous one. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of the cups of Figs. 4: and 5, assembled one into the other, forming an automatic device con-' taining the polish. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of a leather belt or moving platform, mounted on pulleys. Fig. 8 is a detailed view of part of the moving platform. Fig. 9 is a form of gaite'r to be used as a protector of the hose for those who wear low shoes. Fig. 10 is an end view of a brush for the purpose of preliminary dusting of the shoes. Fig. 11 is a detail view of an adjustable curtain hanging from the cover of the machine.

Similar letters of reference, Wherever occurring, indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In the drawings: A. and B are two sets of revolving brushes, each set consisting of a plurality of brushes mounted on a shaft such as C or D. The shafts C and I) are moun ed in bearings S on supports at opposite sides of the belt E. 'E is a leather belt or moving platform, which carries the person who is to have his shoes polished. F indicates a plurality of supporting rollers properly mounted in bearings on inclined supports G and immediately beneath the leather belt or moving platform. Such rollers are revolved by the friction of the belt which moves on top of them when the machine is in action. The supports G are mounted on posts at each side of belt E. H indicates stationary cleaning brushes. T and J are stationary platforms at the ends of the machine. K are blades mounted be tween the brushes to revolve with the same and the main shafts. for the purpose of fanning and drying the shoes. L indicates automatic devices controlling the flow of polish from the cups, and are actuated by contact of lever T with the ankle when the shoe passes between the brushes. The inner cup is rotatable within the outer cup and is rigidly secured to lever T. Said device is open when the openings 72. in the bottom of the inside cup register with the opening 9 in the bottom of the outside cup. Said cups are held by the cover U, and they are interchangeable; that is, one set of cups contains black polish, while another contains tan, and they are to be used alternately when black and tan shoes are to be polished. M indicates two controlling springs for turning the inner cup to closed position. N is a set of reducing gear sprocket chains and sprocket wheels to control the speed. 0 are hand railings for the person to take hold of during the shining operation. P are short wire spikes suitably mounted on the leather belt, which constitutes the moving platform. U are covers to .cover the brushes. Said covers are hinged at V for the purpose of opening them when the brushes are to be changed. The dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show respectively the positions of the shoes being shined. W are ad 'ustable cu tains hanging from the cover and adjust able by means of slot Y sliding up and down by a threaded button. Said curtains are to protect the trousers of the customer from being soiled. Every set of brushes consists of a plurality of brushes fixed on their respective shaft. Each set revolves in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 3). The revolving brushes are all of soft mate" rial except the stationary brushes H, which are of bristle.

The first brush of both sets, namely, a, Z), is employed to dust ofl or clean the shoes at.

the beginning of the shine. Then, as the platform slowly moves along and carries the person, his shoes approach the next set of brushes 0, d, which are employed to put the polish on the shoes as it is taken by the same revolving brushes, while they revolve, from beneath the cups, while it flows from the cups. The remainder of the brushes are employed to give the final gloss to the shoes carried by the slowly moving platform.

The machine is run b a motor connected to either end of the main shafts C. D. Fig. 2. The brushes will revolve at full speed, While the moving platform by means of the reducing gears,moves very slowly. \Vhen anybody is to have a shine, after preliminary cleaning of the shoe by the stationary brushes H, the person stands on the platform I in the position indicated by the dotted lines Z, one foot behind the other: takes hold of the hand railings O, and in such position, While the machine is in motion and the platform slowly moving the Wire spikes set in the belt or moving platform engage the shoes from beneath, carrying the person slowly along, their shoes passing between the two sets of brushes, from I toward J, when the person reaches the other end of the machine on the platform J, the shining operation is finished. Of the pulleys Q, R, by Which means the moving platform slowly revolves the pulley Q in the back is set higher than the other R, in the front as seen in Fig. l; in so doing the platform may move easier over the rollers on an inclined line. The sets of revolving brushes are removable and in the case that black shoes are to be polished after tan, another set of brushes is substituted. For this purpose the bearings S, are suitably constructed with removable caps so that the brushes may be changed. The moving platform E is a regular leather belt slowly revolving with the pulleys Q, R. driven by the reducing gears, sprocket chains, and sprocket wheels N. The leather belt is studded to form a rough surface on the upper face of the belt, and by such means the shoe is prevented from slipping off.

I claim:

ln :1 shoe shining machine, the combination of a supporting frame, two revoluble parallel shafts remova ly mounted in said frame, a plurality of brushes and blades fixed on each of said shafts, a traveling conveyer belt mounted between the revolving brush shafts, motion transmitting mechanism connecting said revolving shafts and conveyer, a polish dispensing device mounted to discharge polish on one brush on each revoluble shaft and having-an actuating arm projecting into the path of travel above the conveyer belt and adapted to be actuated by contact with the ankle of a person standing on the conveyer belt.

viNcENT RASCHELLA.

Witnesses:

Ur'ro PRANTE, O. VENINo. 

